Automatic gas-burner.



Patented Aug. 29, I899.

J. C. PHELPS.

AUTOMATIC GAS BURNER.

(Application filed Dec. 2. 1897.,

{No Model.)

Inventor.

Witnesses. Q04

Attorney.

, Pucrmmrma, WASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JAMES C. PHELPS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC GAS-BURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 631,81 1, dated August 29, 1899.-

Application filed December 2, 1897- Serial No. 660,475. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of lVIassacl1usetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gas-Burners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to gas-b urn ers having means for automatically stopping the flow of gas therethrough when the light is accidentally or purposely extinguished without closing the cock which governs the burner.

The object of the invention is to provide a burner of this character which will be sure and positive in its automatic action, simple and comparatively inexpensive in constrnction, and sufficiently sensitive in its action to prevent any undue escape of gas should the light he accidentally extinguished without fully closing the cock.

To this end my invention consists in a gasburner having automatic means for the purpose named, as hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts in the several views, Figure is a vertical section of a gasburner embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the retractor which normally retains the secondary valve in an open position. Fig. 3 is an under side view of the secondary valve and its seat.

As herein shown the burner proper is composed of three membersto wit, the base 1, having the nipple 2 to connect with the gaspipe 3 and containing the usual cock 4, the shell 5, which is threaded at its lower end to enter the tapped upper end of said base and is also threaded at its upper end, and the cap 0, which is tapped to receive said upper end of the shell and carries the usual lava or other tip 7.

The base 1 is provided with the chamberS at the inner end of the cock 4, the upper end of which chamber is spanned by a circular plate 9, which rests upon an annular shoulder on the base and is secured in place by the lower end of the shell 5, as shown. Said plate 9 is provided with a central orifice, which at the under side of the plate is formed into a semispherical seat to receive the ball-valve 10, whereby said orifice is tightly closed when said valve is in contact with its seat. The valve 10 is provided with the stem 12, which projects upwardly through the orifice in the plate and carries, above the latter, a coilspring 13, one end of which is connected to a cross-pin 14: on the stem and the opposite end to the plate 9, whereby said spring serves to both press the valve upwardly against its seat and to impart an axial movement to the stem and valve, as will presently appear. The valve 10 carries below the plate 9 a rod or bar 15, which extends across or through the same at a right angle to the stem 12, and the plate 9 carries at its under side two stoppins 16 17, (see Fig. 3,) which by engaging said rod near its opposite ends limit the axial movement imparted to the valve and its stem by the spring 13.

A retractor 18 is secured to the washer 19 of the cock 4 or is otherwise connected thereto so as to turn therewith, said retractor consisting of a tubular body which has a portion of its stock removed at its upper end and at opposite sides thereof to form the oppositelylocated recesses or openings 20 21, the width of each of which corresponds substantially with one-fourth the circumference of the body. tractor is provided with the fingers 22 23,

At its extreme upper end said rewhich project laterally into said recesses 20 21,

respectively, in opposite directions for a distance corresponding substantially one-half the width of said recesses. The under side of each of said fingers 22 23 is inclined downwardly from its outer end nearly to the inner end thereof, where it terminates in a notch 24. The upper end of said retractor projects to a point slightly above the plane-0f the crossrod 15 of valve 10, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby the fingers 22 23 are adapted to engage said rod when the cock 4 is turned in one direction and by the inclines on the lower side draw the rod and valve downwardly until the ends of the rod rest in the notches 24 and to thereby retain the valve in its open position until the rod is released from said notches by a still further downward movement of the valve to allow the spring 13 to swing the valve to a position in which its rod clears the ends of said fingers. v

Within the shell 5 above the valve-stem 12 ICO is supported a thermostat, which in the exfull lines in Fig. 3, in which it clears the.

ample shown is composed of an expansible flattened receptacle 25, having a neck 20, which is secured within a socket in the cap 6, said receptacle havinga removable stopper, as shown, whereby it can be filled with ether or other volatile liquid or with mercury, if desired. The upper end of the valve-stem 12 lies immediately beneath the bottom of said receptacle when the latter is in its contracted position and valve 10 is in its closed position, so that the expansion of said bottom will force said stem downwardly and move the valve to its open position. When a tip 7, composed of lava or other non-conductor of heat, is used, I employ a wire 27, preferably of copper, which is led around said tip near its outer end, as shown, and the two ends of which are then led downwardly through the tip and suitable passages in the cap to the upper side of the receptacle 25, where they are wound in a coil, the function of which wire is to quickly conduct heat from said tip to the thermostat to actuate the latter or cause the same to expand.

The operation of the burner thus constructed is as follows: Assuming the primary valve or cook 4 to be closed, with the crossrod 15 of secondary valve 10 resting in the notches 2 1 of the retractor 18, whereby said valve is held in a partially open position, the gas is ready to be lighted by simply turning primary valve 4 to its open position, the gas passing from the pipe 3 through the passage 28 in the base to the chamber 8, thence through the orifice in plate 9 to the interior of shell 5, and thence through the passage 29 in cap 6 to the tip 7. The heat generated by the burning gas quickly causes the bottom of the receptacle 25 to expand, thereby forcing valve 10 downwardly sufficient to disengage its rod 15 from the notches on the retractor, whereupon spring 13 turns said valve until its rod stands in the position shown by fingers on the retractor and renders the valve free to rise to its closed position. Said valve is still held in its open position, however, by the thermostat so long as the gas continues to burn. If now the gas be extinguished from any cause without closing the primary valve 4, thelessening of heat quickly causes the bottom of the thermostat to contract, whereupon spring 13 instantly moves the secondary valve to its closed position, where p it shuts off the flow of gas before any harm- In Fig. l the parts are represented as being in the position last described after the secondary valve has been thus automatically closed. The gas is extinguished in the proper manner by turning the primary valve 4 sufficiently to extinguish the flame, whereby the retractor 18, which engages and turns with said valve, is operated. The fingers 22 and 23 of said retractor now project above the rod 15, which rod is held downward by the thermostat, the notches 2 1 coming directly over said rod 15. Then as the thermostat contracts by cooling said rod 15 is moved upward by the spring 13 to engage the notches 24 under said fingers, thus bringing the burner parts to the positions they occupied before turning the valve 4: to light the burner.

' It will be observed that by my construction all delay in lighting the gas is avoided, it being as ready for instant lighting as the ordinary gas-burner. It will also be noted that the cap 6 and shell 5 can be readily disconnected from the base 1 to afiord access to the plate 9 and the parts beneath it for the purposes of inspection and repair should it become necessary to make such inspection or repair. If a tip be employed which is itself a conductor of heat the use of an independent conductor therefor would be rendered unnecessary.

I do not wish to restrict myself to the exact form of retractor for the secondary valve herein shown, as it is essential merely that some device be employed for the purpose which is connected to and actuated by the primary valve, whether the latter has its axis in alinement with the tip 7 or be otherwise located with respect thereto.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gas-burner, the combination with a primary valve, of a secondary valve located between said primary valve and the tip, a spring operatively connected with said secondary valve for closing the same, and a rotating retractor secured -on the end of said primary valve for moving said secondary valve to its open position,simultaneously with the closing of the primary valve, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the base 1 carrying primary valve 4, shell 5, and cap 6, of secondary valve 10 carrying the cross-rod 15, spring 13 adapted to exert both a lifting and a torsional action upon said valve 10, receptacle 25 supported by the cap 6 and having an expansible bottom as described which is adapted to hold the secondary valve in an open position when expanded, and the retractor 18 operatively connected with the primary valve and having the recesses 20 21 and fingers 22 23 the under sides of which are inclined and notched as described, whereby they are adapted to engage the rod 15 of the secondary valve to move the latter to its open position.

3. The combination with the base 1 carrying the primary valve 4, of the plate 9 provided with the stop-pins 16 17, secondary valve 10 carrying rod 15, spring 13, and retractor 18 operatively connected with said primary valve, arranged and operating substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. PHELPS.

WVitnesses:

WM. H. CHAPMAN, J OSEPH B. HAMILTON. 

